One year ago, the United States joined like-minded nations in sending an unambiguous message that the arbitrarily detention of foreign nationals is unacceptable and governments who engage in this practice must cease immediately.
The United States continues to call on the international community to collectively respond and press for the release of all those who are arbitrarily detained around the world. We commend Canada for its leadership in the fight against the practice of imprisoning individuals for diplomatic leverage. The Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations now has 68 endorsements from nations around the world, and we urge others to support this initiative grounded in the rule of law and respect for human rights.